Grow Your Business in Northcenter!

Earlier this year, Northcenter was named one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago for quality of life. With great schools, diverse businesses, a vibrant community and one of Chicago’s hottest real estate markets, residents are flocking to this neighborhood. Now, a new initiative from the Northcenter Chamber of Commerce (NCC) aims to make the neighborhood as inviting to local retailers as it is to residents.

To encourage expansion and foster a thriving business community in the area, the Northcenter Chamber of Commerce and partners have launched Retail Northcenter, a grassroots, neighborhood-focused effort whose goal is to connect entrepreneurs, current and new businesses with Northcenter properties. Retail Northcenter will utilize existing relationships with local business resources, commercial real estate brokers, business owners and the Office of the 47th Ward to identify key people, places and opportunities.

“The Northcenter neighborhood is changing and growing a lot, and there is great potential for small businesses to thrive here,” NCC Executive Director Garrett FitzGerald said. “We want to connect business owners to the neighborhood and give them a space to network.”

NCC has been working on this initiative over the past two and a half years, collaborating with the 47th Ward and other partners. The Retail Northcenter team held its first meeting of 2014 in early April,  where new business owners and realtors came together to discuss vacancies and opportunities for business expansion. More meetings and activities are planned for the remainder of the year and beyond. For more information, survey results and resources, please visit the NCC website or visit Retail Northcenter on Facebook.